'Madam Secretary' actor Sam Daly explains why you should be on Team Waisy

Viewers of Madam Secretary have grown to love Tim Daly, who plays the secretary’s husband, Henry McCord. Fans are in for a treat this Sunday when Daly’s real-life son, Sam, stars as Winthrop “Win” Barrington, the long-mentioned fiancé of Press Secretary Daisy Grant (Patina Miller). Since Win has interferred with Daisy and speech writer Matt Mahoney’s (Geoffrey Arend) romance for some time now, it’s thrilling to put a face with a name. The actor spoke with Entertainment Weekly Community about playing Win, acting alongside his father, their father-son web series, and being on Team Waisy.

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY COMMUNITY: What aspects of the role first drew you to playing Win?

SAM DALY: Initially, the prospect of getting to work on and around my dad’s show was exciting…But then I read that Win was a WASP-y, medical marijuana lobbyist and Daisy’s fiancé, and I thought, “How much fun would that be to play?” Because I, like all viewers, have been loving Matt and Daisy’s chemistry and their tension. And they’re both so sweet and such funny people, and they’re really great on the show. I think it’s perfect to come in and infuse some conflict into their relationship. And who knows? Win loves Daisy, so maybe he could win her back. But we’ll have to see.

Since Win is referenced many times before appearing onscreen, did that impact your performance?

It’s funny because when I auditioned for Win, he had never been mentioned on the show, since it was awhile back … They started referencing his character the week before I actually went and shot the part, so it was good to have a little sense of [Win]. But it’s good fun to hear more about what has been going on between Daisy, Win, and Matt. I did know that I had proposed to Daisy and that Matt had gone and tried to confess his love for her. But beyond that, I still came up with my own backstory for Daisy and Win, which was really fun to do.

Will viewers get to find out how Daisy and Win met?

Not on this episode, no, but we have fingers crossed that there is potential for Win to come back. So we’ll have to wait and see.

So be honest. Even though you play Win, are you on Team Maisy?

Oh, Team Maisy is great, but I’m starting a new one: Team Waisy! It’s really fun, and I think there’s some really good stuff in the episode on Sunday that will definitely directly affect Win and Daisy’s relationship. And without saying too much, it should shift the course of Matt and Daisy’s relationship, too.

Your dad is spectacular onMadam Secretaryand in general. What was it like working with him and how is it to watch him week after week?

Both my parents are actors. My mother (Amy Van Nostrand) is an actress too, so it’s sort of second nature. At this point, I’ve been watching them since I was born. But watching him on the show has been fantastic … I’ve read all the scripts so far, but I’m still so excited to see what happens next. And it’s really fun working with my dad, which I actually get to do all the time. We do a web series, called The Daly Show. It’s very silly. They are three- to five-minute episodes, and we’re being goofballs and caricatures of ourselves. We shoot it for no budget in my dad’s apartment with a couple friends of ours. We get together and have some really fun guest stars, like Nathan Fillion and Whoopi Goldberg. Hopefully there’s going to be a Madam Secretary-Daly Show in the near future.

Did growing up as an actor’s son influence your decision to become one yourself? And when did you start acting and first know you wanted to be a professional actor?

No, not at all. I was pretty sure I was going to be a professional basketball player. But then, I went to college and thought I was going to be an economics major and quickly realized, after taking economics first semester, that I would never take an econ class again. I took a film class and fell in love with it. I’d always been very close to TV and film. Then I studied abroad in Prague after my junior year … and studied at this Czech film school. I got to write, direct, and act in four different short movies, and that was sort of it for me. I decided I was going to be an actor, and after I graduated, I was waiting tables in Providence for the summer and got a small role in this cool indie movie called The Education of Charlie Banks that Fred Durst was directing. I got my SAG card and moved to L.A. years ago, and that’s all she wrote.

What should we tune in for tonight? Do you have a favorite memory from filming this episode?

One would have to be when I was shooting a scene with Geoffrey (Arend), and we end up cracking up a lot in the scene. We made each other laugh so hard. We were gut-laughing until we cried. We both had sore abs the next day, we were laughing so hard. And hopefully the audience will react to what they see, or at least part of it.

Expression Of JoyThe Brady Bunch: Groovy! The Bradys: Ritual hugging Married…With Children: ”Oh, great.” Thirtysomething: ”Of course I’m happy for you. Really. But what about me? Why does it always have to be about you? The Flintstones: ”Yabba-dabba doo

Expression Of Rage

The Brady Bunch: ”Hmmm…” The Bradys: ”If you back away from something you really want, then you’re a quitter!” (the angriest any Brady has ever been) Married…With Children: ”Aaagh, God, take me from this miserable life!” Thirtysomething: ”I’m not angry, OK?” The Flintstones: ”Willllmaaaa!”

Typical ProblemThe Brady Bunch: Marcia and her rival both want to be the prom queen. The Bradys: Bobby gets paralyzed. Married…With Children: Al doesn’t buy his family Christmas presents. Thirtysomething: Nancy gets cancer. The Flintstones: Fred and Barney are staying out too late.

Typical SolutionThe Brady Bunch: The prom committee decides to have two queens. The Bradys: Bobby gets married. Married…With Children: They hate him. Thirtysomething: If only we knew… The Flintstones: Wilma and Betty decide to follow them.

Attitude Toward SexThe Brady Bunch: Never heard of it The Bradys: Omigod — even Cindy does it! Married…With Children: Peg: Yes. Al: No. Thirtysomething: They didn’t get all those kids by accident. The Flintstones: Prehistoric

How Spouses FightThe Brady Bunch: They don’t. The Bradys: Infrequently, but it happens Married…With Children: Tooth and nail Thirtysomething: They stop talking The Flintstones: Fred and Barney go bowling while Wilma and Betty max out their charge cards.

How Kids Get Into TroubleThe Brady Bunch: Greg takes a puff of a cigarette. The Bradys: Carol’s grandson steals her business cards and sticks them in the spokes of Bobby’s wheelchair. Married…With Children: By committing felonies Thirtysomething: Ethan plays with a forbidden toy rocket. The Flintstones: They don’t.

How They’re Punished

The Brady Bunch: ”It’s not what you did, honey — it’s that you couldn’t come to us.” The Bradys ”Next time, ask.” Married…With Children: By the authorities Thirtysomething: It blows up in his face. The Flintstones: They’re not.

What Family Does For FunThe Brady Bunch: Takes special three-part vacations to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon The Bradys: Has flashbacks Married…With Children: Exchanges insults Thirtysomething: Talks The Flintstones: Attends showings of The Monster at the Bedrock Drive-In

Unsolved MysteriesThe Brady Bunch: How exactly did Carol’s first husband and Mike’s first wife die? The Bradys: What’s with Marcia’s new face and Bobby’s blonde hair Married…With Children: What kind of hair spray does Peg use? Thirtysomething: Why did Nancy take Elliot back? What do Gary and Susanna see in each other? The Flintstones: How does Barney’s shirt stay on if he has no shoulders? Where do Fred and Wilma plug in their TV?

Worst BehaviorThe Brady Bunch: The Brady children once made Alice feel under-appreciated.

Best Reason To WatchThe Brady Bunch: This is what life should be. The Bradys: They’re all grown-ups now! Married…With Children: Terry Rakolta hates it. Thirtysomething (Tie) This is your life. This isn’t your life. The Flintstones: This is what life might have been.

Best Reason Not To WatchThe Brady Bunch: Blurred vision from rerun overdoses. The Bradys: You’re all grown-ups now. Married…With Children: She has a point. Thirtysomething: After a while, you think it’s real. The Flintstones: The Simpsons